This past January counted as my fourteenth year in the world of adult cinema. For Kylie Quinn, well, her first AVN Expo was right around the age of eighteen. As the 2024 AVN Awards Show approached, I could think of no better performer to work as DJD Media’s spokesmodel and correspondent within the whole scheme of things, and boy oh boy, was there a lot of scheming, especially behind the curtain when it came to what fans and industry personnel could expect to see within the walls of Resorts World. A hotel-casino/theme park/strip mall was now hosting the annual event. Rumors spread wild as to what we were all in store for. Don Juan and Kylie Quinn are here to give fans real insight into what we saw. How things used to be at our first AVN, and what the future holds for this massive fan and friends gathering within the world of porn.
Now, Don Juan will take the pen and tell you what his first AVN show was like. At my first event, I witnessed an atmosphere that was a little more friendly than the way the industry used to be. Cam models and content creators were nowhere within the mix of things. Not unless you had the fan following of Ginger Banks, and even then, you were lucky to get the press that other performers like Anikka Albright would get. The Hard Rock Hotel had that porn star feel. A bit more grungy, but that is the way we like in a world of filth of film. Hard Rock fit AVN like a glove, but I don’t think you can compare it to what we have seen in the previous two years. I remember seeing more Hall of Fame performers walking within the seas of humanity daily. I can even remember performers picking others out of drunken stoopers from all the fun they were having day in and day out, all the way to the big night of the awards. Hey, this is how porn stars party. If you don’t know that, then you are blind to what entertainment is. I do feel that, in those days, more performers had each other’s back than there were performers who had a true passion for being there more than ten-plus years ago. That is what best describes my first AVN journey.
At this year's event, everyone was told we would be herded into a tent like a gaggle of geese or a flock of sheep. No matter the comparison, the naysayers were wrong about what the 2024 AVN Expo turned out to be. From opening afternoon to closing evening, right before the red carpet, the convention area was packed with fans, as well as performers, agencies, production companies, and more. Yes, it was within the confines of a temperature-controlled tent. But this was not Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was more like Cirque DeSole. Fans could actually see the stars they loved all under one roof. They could spend one afternoon seeing every major attraction that makes up every powerfully produced film within the industry. There were smiles galore. I remember walking in and seeing Best New Starlet hopeful Hailey Rose having the time of her life every day at the Jules Jordan booth. But the fun did not stop there, oh no.
Resorts World is located off the strip. So, that means that there was not an abundance of drunken bullshit, the likes of which you would always see from fans at Hard Rock. I walked a great distance with my photographer each day and was welcomed by warm temperatures. That is the only bad thing I have to say about the annual event. As you entered the convention building, you were greeted by this artificial grassy knoll. Which would serve as an epic entrance to the red carpet, numerous nighttime parties, and an expo photo backdrop from heaven. Fans, performers, and content creators were having a fucking ball. Most of the time together. Visions of Alex Coal taking so much time to gladhand her fans every second of the time she was at the Loyal Fans booth is what comes to my memory first.
You can see great attractions like the Brazzers booth and all their megastars. Then, when you pivoted left, you would run into The Shrunk Booth with its host of great performers, including Bella Lexi, Kitty Quinn, and Addyson James, if you were lucky. You would meet Ivan Puba and Niko from The Local Podcast right here in Las Vegas. Complete with the ability to purchase and create some kick-ass figurines for both fans and porn stars. It was planned out with precision. With every angle covered.
The stars were out in force. If you wanted to meet squirting legend Cytheria, you had your chance. If you wanted to share a chuckle with the great Katie Morgan or say hello to the legendary performer, turned hall of fame director, turned agent Jonathan Morgan at the Nexxxt Level booth, you could do so in one cozy corner of this weather-regulated exterior building. Complete with a Gin and Juice dispenser around the corner for twenty-five dollars. This is Las Vegas, after all.
The parties were fun. Even for an old party animal like Don Juan DeMarko , who was more content to go home and rest, and then gamble with Rising Star Fan Award nominee Tifa Quinn than he was to party the night away at the Vanitcian with The Hussie Models crew. If you went to the White Party, and many fans did, you would run into all The Coxxx Models and The Speigler gals. All dressed to impress and look like a million bucks. This year's event was filled with laughter and joy among the performers. I can not remember an instance of hearing a bad story. Whether it was Cherie DeVille or Alexis Fawx, I stopped to say hello. I can sum up this year's events as something that had so much more togetherness than years past. You had far fewer hotel officials looking to tell performers to cover up and stop flashing their tits. You also had a lot of performers conducting themselves with extreme professionalism and a hell of a lot of happiness. People looked happy to attend, and there were so many recognizable faces. It dispelled so many myths about this year's show.
In closing, Don Juan would like to say that he loves conspiracy theories, especially on Netflix. But what we saw here was exactly what urban legends always turn out to be. A bunch of bullshit created by a lot of negative people. Who seemed not to attend this year's convention. Which could be felt by the lack of negative emotions. I remember walking through that massive red carpet line as I said hello to industry friends. I saw Brandi Love and Maitland Ward. They had some provocative videos and big bear hugs to share with Don Juan. I saw Coco Lovelock and Gizelle Blanco, looking like old starlets, ready to make their red-carpet moments. You had so many people waiting a shorter time, all enjoying each other's company. Making this year's AVN Expo and Awards one of the best in the annual event's history. Period. End of story. That is Don Juan’s bottom line.
